Little Ricky Gets a Dog
Previous episode: Lucy and the Loving Cup Next episode: Lucy and Superman http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/PuppyFred.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/SoothingAlarm.jpg Plot Little Ricky brings home a puppy to add to his already large menagerie. Lucy and Ricky try to make him get rid of it, but the puppy is just too cute. Fred complains when the puppy howls all night long, but even Fred is softened by the puppy when Little Ricky announces that he's going to name the little dog "Fred." Why this name? Because Little Ricky only names his pets after people he likes. But the new tenant demands that the dog be sent away. Fred has to pick the tenant and the money over Fred the dog. Lucy still can't bear to get rid of the little puppy, and she gets caught hiding Fred under a sombrero. The new tenant is outraged, but Fred sticks up for the Ricardos, saying that he'd "rather live with a little dog than a big grouch!" Trivia *Lucille Ball was a huge dog lover. She always had at least one dog as a pet throughout her whole life. You can really see her love for dogs when she's cuddling Fred when he's been barking all night. *Little Ricky's dog, Fred, was played by a Cairn terrier named Danny. Danny was owned by Frank Inn and trained by Bob Blair. This is the same dog that played 'Fremont', Mr. Wilson's dog on "Dennis the Menace". *In addition to Fred the dog, Little Ricky also has Hopalong the frog, Tommy and Jimmy the turtles, Alice and Phil the parakeets, and Mildred and Charles the fish. He used to have a lizard, but it accidentally fell out the window. *Out of all of Little Ricky's pets, the only ones we ever see after this episode (besides Fred the dog, of course) are Mildred and Charles and Alice and Phil. The fish bowl is on top of the Ricardos' piano in the Mertzes' apartment in episode №168, and the bird cage is in the corner of the Mertzes' apartment (by the kitchen door) in episode №168. *Lucy mentions wanting to move to the country in this episode, helping to set up the upcoming storyline. *Lucy has lots of morning pet duties that we get to see in this episode. She has to change the paper in the bird cage, give the turtles food and water their little palm tree, tidy up Hopalong's cigar box, change the water in the fish bowl, and feed Hopalong lettuce for lunch. *Mrs. Trumbull had a cat for a long time that the Mertzes knew about, so either cats are exempt from the "no pets" part of the lease or the Mertzes agreed to turn a blind eye towards Mrs. Trumbull's cat in exchange for her turning a blind eye towards Little Ricky's presence breaking the "no children" part of the lease. And let's not forget that Fred himself had his dog Butch way back in "The Diet"! *Lucy mentions moving to the country in this episode, which makes this season the one with the most foreshadowing as to future plots.*Fred picking the dog over the tenant's money in the end really shows how much he loves his godson and wants Little Ricky to be happy. *Voice actor veteran June Foray is the one who makes the noises of the puppy yelping. The puppy never actually was howling and whining. *Little Ricky got the puppy from his friend Billy Palmer. *In episode #7 of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Little Ricky talks about his pets. He says he has two lizards, a sick goldfish, a turtle, and a frog. While it's interesting that Little Ricky got new lizards after the window accident killed off his first lizard, whatever happened to Fred the dog?! It's reasonable that he might have gotten rid of Mildred and Charles and the two parakeets, but Fred was such a key part of their country household! Not to mention the Ricardos wanted to live in the country partly to let Little Ricky have lots of animals! As for the turtle, it's unknown if it's still Jimmy or Tommy, and it's also unknown if the frog is still Hopalong. *In this episode, the window by Ricky's bed that we see in episode #85 is gone! Ricky now just has a blank wall by his bed. *There are many correlations between getting Fred the puppy and when Little Ricky was a newborn. Not only are the neighbors mad at the late-night yowling of the puppy like Mrs. Trumbull was upset with Little Ricky's nightly crying, Lucy and Ricky scheme to not tell Little Ricky that Fred must be given away just like they schemed to not get up for Little Ricky's crying in episode #58. Plus, the Mertzes stick up for the Ricardos over them breaking both the "no pets" and "no children" parts of the lease. Quotes *Lucy: (finishes changing fish water) There! Now, that was simple, wasn't it? Ethel: Simple? Gregory Peck had less trouble with Moby Dick! *Ethel: Lucy, why do you let Little Ricky keep all these pets? Lucy: Well, I think it's important for a child to have pets, especially a city child, you know? Gee, sometimes, I think we should move to the country, so Little Ricky could have all the animals he wants. *Lucy: Why would Fred rent to an old grouch Stewart? Ethel: Well, to on old grouch, another old grouch doesn't SEEM like an old grouch. And he's gonna pay to have his kitchen remodeled, so Fred doesn't care anything about his disposition. *Ethel: Wouldn't it be easier if pets all just ate each other? *Lucy: Well, for one thing, dear, our house is too small for a dog. Little Ricky: But, Mommy, it's a small dog! Lucy: Well, I know, but he's gonna grow bigger. Little Ricky: Maybe our house will grow bigger, too. *Lucy: The lizard fell out the window, remember? Ricky: He didn't fall out of the window. He jumped out to get away from the crowd! *Lucy: Well, did you talk to Ricky about getting rid of the puppy, dear? Ricky: Yeah. Lucy: Where are you going? Ricky: Down to the basement to get a box. Lucy: A box? Ricky: Well, that little puppy can't sleep on that cold floor all night! *Fred: Now, haven't I been lenient? Didn't I close my eyes when you got the turtles? Didn't I look the other way when the frog and the goldfish arrived? And didn't I keep quiet when you got those two molting buzards? I gotta draw the line someplace. That pooch has got to go! Ethel: Oh, Fred, you haven't seen puppy. He is the cutest little thing! Fred: One more word out of you, Ethel, and you go, too! *Fred: I don't mind being a landlord, but I'll be darned if I'm gonna run a pet motel! *Little Ricky: I found a name for my dog. Ricky: Oh, what? Little Ricky: His name is Fred. Lucy: Well, how did you ever happen to name him that? Little Ricky: I always name my pets after people I like. Ethel: Fred, where are you going? Fred: Down to the basement to get the box! *Ethel: (to Fred the dog) Hey, you know, you kind of look like Fred? Except you've got a lot more hair than he has! *Lucy: What time is it? Ricky: 3 o'clock. Lucy: He's getting better. He hasn't yipped in about 20 minutes. *Ricky: You go care of Fred. He's your son's dog. Lucy: MY son? Isn't he your son, too? Ricky: Not at 3 o'clock in the morning, he isn't! *Lucy: (after Fred the dog yowls from Lucy's singing) Alright, so I'm not Dinah Shore. You're no Lassie, either! *Ethel: Lucy, I'm sorry, but it's either the tenants or the dog. Fred: And dogs don't pay rent! *Ricky: But you will have to tell Litlte Ricky that he has to get rid of the dog. Lucy: I'll make a deal- you tell Little Ricky, I'll tell the dog. *Ricky: (catches Lucy leaving to get out of telling Little Ricky) The market is open at 7 o'clock in the morning? Lucy: If you can have a rehearsal, the market can be open! *Lucy: Yeah, well, you gotta get up awful early in the morning to sneak out of this apartment! *Ricky: I want to tell you that your mother has something to tell you! *Lucy: You should try biscuits. They got it all over doughnuts for dunking! Want one? Fred? Fred: No. No, thanks. I'm tryin' to cut down! *Lucy: (to Ricky) No, no, I'll up your coat. That's what wives are for. Fred: Oh, so THAT'S what they're for! *Ricky: Mr. Stewart, what kind of business are you in? Mr. Stewart: I'm retired. Ricky: Oh, well, nice work if you can get it! *Ricky: Since when do you play the piano? Lucy: I thought I'd play the piano so that I could accompany myself with my hat dancing. *Fred: I must remind you, Stewart- you have a lease. Mr. Stewart: The lease says "no pets." Now, either the dog goes or I go! Fred: Good! I'd rather live with a little dog than a big grouch! *Fred: It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing! Ethel: Fred, you gave Stewart back the whole $250! Fred: Yes. I gave him back the whole two-hundred-... (realizes what he did) $250?!﻿